We raise Ducks for Eggs. Yes. You can eat duck eggs. They are delicious.

We now are offering duck eggs for sale! $5 per doz. Contact me if you are interested for delivery/pickup options. From very free-range, very happy ducks.

I did not know you could eat duck eggs. The thought had never even crossed my mind. Tim hates chickens (don't ask), so in 2010 we started buying fresh eggs from my sister's best friend Camden. Camden brought us a rainbow of eggs every week. We loved them. However there were always a few extra large eggs with a slightly pointer shape that were exceptionally tasty. They were our favorite eggs and we ate them first. Tim like them so much that he reluctantly admitted that he might be amenable to a few chickens if we could get the breed that made those eggs. I asked Camden. She avoided answering. She conveniently kept forgetting to ask her mom. Finally, after weeks, she confessed. They were duck eggs.

People used to commonly eat both duck and chicken eggs. There are even laying duck breeds that lay more eggs in a year than most chickens! Chickens are easier to keep in batteries for egg production and the flavor of the egg is less strongly influence by the quality of their feed, hence with the advent of grocery stores as the primary source of eggs, chicken eggs ruled the roost.

Pros of duck eggs vs. chicken eggs

Duck eggs can be used just like large chicken eggs.

Duck eggs have a rich creamy taste that we enjoy.

Duck eggs yield loftier, moister breads and cakes and are the first choice of 'fancy' professional bakers.

Duck eggs come from ducks and we love ducks.

Some people who are bothered by chicken eggs can eat duck eggs.

Cons of duck eggs vs. chicken eggs.

Duck eggs do taste a little different from chicken eggs and not everyone likes the flavor.

Duck eggs have more fat. Since eggs have been largely exonerated from the claims that they are bad for you, this is less of an issue. But if you usually use egg beaters to be healthy.. duck eggs are not for you.

Duck egg whites take longer to beat into 'stiff peaks' and are never as dry and stiff and chicken egg whites. My duck egg Angel food cakes do not loft quite as high as cakes made with chicken eggs.. however the flavor of the duck egg cake is moister and richer.

Pros of Ducks:

Ducks are very hardy and basically don't get sick, or pests etc. You don't have to treat them for anything ever.

Domestic ducks do not fly or roost and can easily be contained with a short fence.

Ducks are very docile and cannot peck you.

Ducks will mow your grass and eat any and every insect they can find. They are good at catching flies.

Male ducks (drakes) do not quack.

people are weirdly afraid of ducks (they think they are geese??) and ducks quack at strangers... or cats.. or dogs.. or anything threat they feel must be reported, thus making them an odd backyard security system.

Ducks are extreme creatures of habit and will put themselves 'to bed' in their pen every night. You must however still close them in or they will have a panic when the neighborhood cat visits.

Ducks will eat virtually all your leftover food if it is mushy or cut into duck-sized bites. No more wasted childrens food or slightly spoiled fruit.

Cons of Ducks:

Female ducks quack. Some quack loudly. We now have Welsh Harlequins which are rumored to be calmer and quieter.. so far they are.

Ducks will play and 'drill' in the mud like it's their job. If they have a permanent pond surrounded by dirt.. it will be very messy. I have a small stock tank that I rotate around the yard and usually place on bricks or on a concrete patio. The stock tank on grass is ok for a couple days as well.

Ducks 'spit' dirt into their water, making their water dirty about 10 min after you refill it. I just give them fresh water once a day. Alternatively you can use poultry waterer. They don't actually need to swim, but they do really enjoy it.

Ducks are easy to catch and kill. Dogs love them. For this reason we have a dog-proof fence and a small shelter/pen that can be closed for the night to keep them safe and to keep them from quacking at every person or animal that walks close to our house at night.

It is legal in the City of Wichita Falls to keep Ducks or Hens (no roosters) in your backyard. Their enclosure must be at least 50 feet from the nearest inhabited building, preferably 75 feet. I was told it is ok for them to roam closer to your neighbors during the day as long as they are not a nuisance. You are also required to control flies and odor. In general Wichita Falls, has a very permissive policy on animals. This is one benefit to living in rural Texas. Here is the link to the municipal code.